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Fiddler
Fiddler was a member of the 9th Squad of the Bridgeburners under Sergeant Whiskeyjack.Gardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p. xii High Fist Dujek said about Fiddler that 'the man's a 'hopeless legend'.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.149 He was described as a wiry little manGardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK HB p.134 with bandied legs,Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK HB p.129 lank red hairGardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK HB p.130 and beard with massive wrists and blue eyes.The Crippled God, Chapter 4, UK HB p.107 He usually wore a mismatched uniform with a leather helmet or cap. Fiddler carried around a broken, scorched fiddle strapped to his back, which was how he acquired his name. Ganoes Paran considered Fiddler to be only a few years older than himself. Pockmarks from explosive detonations covered Fiddler's hands and face. His armour was a mixture of foreign accoutrements over a threadbare stained uniform. He carried a shortsword in a cracked wooden scabbard.Gardens of the Moon, Prologue, UK MMPB p.5 Fiddler and Hedge were the sappers of the 9th Squad.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 8, UK MMPB p.256 He was an adept at reading the Deck of Dragons. Mostly he used the Deck in drinking games or in card games were money was on the table. He created new rules for the game every time he dealt the Deck, which guaranteed his winning. Each game started with no rules, and with every card dropped a new rule would be made. In one game where Adjunct Lorn was present, he predicted her demise. She did not know about his powers until he predicted her death, (apparently an Obelisk turned upside down meant she would die very soon). As Fiddler grew older he became reluctant in using the deck of dragons. He proved himself knowledgeable about the old-style magic which Bottle used.House of Chains, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.850/851 Numerous times, Fiddler had 'bad feelings' which forewarned him and others that something was about to happen.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.134 for example Fiddler's age was difficult to determine however, he thought to himself that for an old man he neither looked nor felt old and put this down to Raraku having destroyed him then renewed him and that this renewal continued for himself as well as the other Bridgeburners, as if Raraku took something of their mortality and replaced it with something else.House of Chains, Chapter 11, UK MMPB p.493 History Fiddler said he had been born in an alley in Malaz City and had learned the stone-cutting trade breaking into barrows up on the plain behind Mock's Hold.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 1, UK MMPB p.147 At a young age, before joining the army, Fiddler and Whiskeyjack abducted the latter's half-sister, Dunsparrow from Hood's Temple. Quick Ben thought of Fiddler as having been practically "her uncle".The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, UK MMPB p.640 Fiddler claimed to have named Braven Tooth after a brawl in which the Master Sergeant left a tooth in the young soldier's shoulder. The sapper had spent fifteen years fighting Imperial Wars by the time of Deadhouse Gates. He had seen service at Li Heng when Emperor Kellanved fought both Treach and Ryllandaras.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 2, US HC p.64 During the Malazan campaign to conquer Seven Cities he had often ridden with the Wickan scouts and was familiar with the continent's different tribes and their customs.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 5, US HC p.124 In Gardens of the Moon In 1154BS Fiddler and his Commander Whiskeyjack encountered a young Ganoes Paran on the walls of the Old Keep on Malaz Island during the Mouse Quarter riots. It was mentioned that Fiddler leaned beside Whiskeyjack with the ease of long familiarity.Gardens of the Moon, Prologue, UK MMPB p.5-8 Nine years later in 1163BS, some of the Bridgeburners survived the cave-in of the tunnels at the end of the Siege of Pale due to Fiddler having one of his bad feelings. He had another bad feeling about the time of Ganoes Paran being stabbed by Sorry. After the near annihilation of the Bridgeburners in the tunnels under the walls of Pale, the remainder of the ninth squad, Fiddler amongst them, were sent on a covert mission to Darujhistanto pave the way for Dujek's forces.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.129 Having been dropped on the northern shore of Lake Azur by Black Moranth Quorl, Fiddler and Hedge took delivery of a consignment of Moranth munitions, delivered by Green Moranth, making them 'two happy sappers' according to Kalam.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 8, UK MMPB p.256 Disguised as road maintenance workers, Hedge and Fiddler mined the streets of Darujhistan as part of their mission to help conquer the city.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 11, US HC p.258 On the night of the Gedderone Fête, Fiddler and the other Bridgeburners posed as guards at Lady Simtal's estate. When the gathering was attacked by the Jaghut Tyrant Raest, Fiddler pulled Whiskeyjack to safety from the rubble.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 22, US HC p.454 Afterwards, he and Hedge raced away to set off their charges, but were stopped in their tracks by the appearance of the demon Lord of Galayn. The delay saved the city as it gave time for Kalam to stop the plan that would have unknowingly touched off the city's enormous gas reserves.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 22, US HC p.459Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 23, US HC p.468 When the Bridgeburners broke off from the Malazan Empire to join High Fist Dujek Onearm's mutinous forces, Fiddler did not go with them. Instead, he and Kalam felt they owed Apsalar an escort back to her home in Itko Kan. He swore he would return, if he could.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 24, US HC p.481 In Deadhouse Gates Fiddler and Kalam left the Bridgeburners to take Apsalar home to Itko Kan along with Crokus. In reality, the two former soldiers plotted with Quick Ben to assassinate the Empress as revenge for her attacks on the Bridgeburners. They traveled to Seven Cities to seek the Azath House Tremorlor and use its gate to travel instantaneously and undetected to the Deadhouse in Malaz City.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.225 From there it was a short trip to the Imperial Palace at Unta. Quick Ben would serve as their Shaved Knuckle in the Hole through an ensorcelled rock that Kalam could use to summon the mage once they were in the halls of the palace.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 1, US HC p.46Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 11, US HC p.301 Arriving in Ehrlitan, Fiddler saved the two granddaughters of Kimloc from the clutches of a Hunchbacked pimp. As a reward, the Tanno Spiritwalker gave him a conch shell imbued with powers of protection.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 2, US HC p.61-65 Kalam quickly broke from the original plan, traveling into the Raraku desert with the holy Book of Dryjhna to touch off the Whirlwind rebellion. Fiddler was not pleased with Kalam's decision, but continued on with Apsalar and Crokus disguised as a Gral tribesman and two young pilgrims.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 3, US HC p.92/94 They traveled south through the Pan'potsun Odhan dodging angry tribesmen and Whirlwind rebels until they became caught up in the battles between the Soletaken and D'ivers of the Path of Hands. Even the sapper's supply of munitions was not enough, but they were rescued and brought to Tesem by Icarium and Mappo.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 7, US HC p.192-196 Fiddler quickly grew to enjoy the company of the Jhag and Trell. When High Priest of Shadow Iskaral Pust manipulated Apsalar into following her father to Tremorlor, Fiddler, Crokus, Icarium, and Mappo followed. Along with Pust and the Hounds of Shadow, they fought their way through the maze surrounding the Azath house. About to be overwhelmed by the horde of rats comprising the Di'vers Gryllen, Fiddler fired his final munition. But what he took for an explosive was actually Kimloc's conch shell. The shell's magic activated and destroyed the D'ivers.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 18, US HC p.482 The group entered Tremorlor and passed into the Azath warren. Pust, Icarium, and Mappo soon disappeared. Fiddler, Apsalar, Crokus, and Rellock found themselves in the Deadhouse where they met Gothos, its guardian. Exiting the house into Malaz City they were reunited with Kalam by the shadow demon Apt. To Fiddler's surprise Kalam informed him that he had spoken with the Empress and their feud was over. Given the choice of returning to the Bridgeburners, Fiddler instead opted to enlist under a new name with Adjunct Tavore's Malaz 14th Army.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 23, US HC p.573-576/581-584 In House of Chains Fiddler re-enlisted as "Sergeant Strings" in Adjunct Tavore's Army, the 14th, to aid in the attempted retaking of Seven Cities. There he headed the 4th squad, which included Tarr as his corporal, as well as Cuttle, Koryk, Smiles, and Bottle. His, Borduke's, and Gesler's squads had competing desert scorpions on which they wagered. Strings' squad named their Birdshit scorpion "Joyful Union". In The Bonehunters Fiddler continued his service in the Bonehunters army and took part in the disastrous Last Siege of Y'Ghatan. He and a bunch of others managed to escape the firestorm that went through the city by digging their way through underground ruins.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.393-447 Upon rejoining the Bonehunters, the Adjunct told him to stop the pretense, 'that his name was Fiddler was the worst kept secret in the 14th.' In Malaz City, Fiddler visited the armourer Tak who supplied him with a new crossbow model.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.1067-1071 Fiddler also bought a fiddle of Tac and later played a song for all the fallen that echoed like a dirge throughout the city.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.1071/1072The Bonehunters, Chapter 23, UK MMPB p.1123-1125 In Reaper's Gale He led the 4th squad of marines in the invasion of the Letherii Empire. His was one of the first squads to reach the capital and among the only ones to come through unscathed. Fiddler was present at the death of Trull Sengar. After Trull's murderer was banished to a place of eternal torment, Quick Ben forbade Fiddler to pity the killer.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24 In Dust of Dreams Fiddler reluctantly conducted a reading of the Deck of Dragons that unleashed mass chaos on Letheras and the warrens. He accompanied the Bonehunter army east and survived the battle with the K'Chain Nah'ruk. Noted in this book was the fact that Fiddler as a figure held the entire army together. In The Crippled God Fiddler was made CaptainThe Crippled God, Chapter 4, UK HB p.99 of the surviving marines and heavies of the Bonehunters and was answerable only to the Adjunct.The Crippled God, Chapter 4, UK HB p.110 He lived through the trek across the Glass Desert. Before the final battle for the body of the Crippled God, Fiddler reconciled with Hedge. They both survived the final battle. He played one of Fisher's songs on a fiddle given to him by Whiskeyjack, Mallet and Trotts, summoned Whiskeyjack's spirit so that Korlat could see him again. In the book's epilogue, Fiddler went fishing off the docks of Malaz City and talked with a young boy there who dreamt of becoming a soldier. Rather than discouraging the lad, Fiddler wished him luck and revealed the details of his life in retirement: Fiddler had taken up playing music for the surviving veterans at a magically hidden bar across from the Deadhouse. He fished not for food, but to converse with the demon beneath Malaz Harbor.The Crippled God, Epilogue 2, US HC p.907/908 Quotes Notes and References de:Fiedler pl:Skrzypek Category:Bonehunter Category:Bridgeburners Category:Captains Category:Falari Category:High House Chains Category:Humans Category:Malazans Category:Males Category:Sappers Category:Soldiers Category:Y'Ghatan survivor (underground)